Releasing the National Crime Statistics on this morning, 19 September, Mthethwa said there were 896 298 serious crime arrests in 2012/13 compared to 777 140 during the 2011/12 reporting period.

Police convicted 352 513 people for serious crimes, while there were 307 580 convictions in 2011/12.

Contact crime has decreased by 38.2% over nine years, 16% during the past four years and 4.2% during the past financial year of 2012/13, said Mthethwa.

While the murder rate reduced by 27.2% over nine years, with a further reduction of 16.6% during the past four years, Mthethwa said there was a slight increase of 0.6% during the past financial year (2012/13). Mthethwa further announced an increase in attempted murder of 6.5% during the past financial year.

He said the police would double their efforts to fight this crime.

“We will work harder to ensure this slight increase is re-routed to the downward trends that we experienced over the past 9 years.”

He said the period had been characterised by growing unity in action against crime, a period focused on improving life conditions for all, especially the poor.

Crimes committed against women also decreased by 11.1 % to 175 880 when compared to the 2009/10 period, when there were 197 877 cases.

Mthethwa says rape has decreased by 3.3% in past four years and 0.4% this year. This number, he said, was still unacceptably high.

There was a 34.6% decrease in ATM bombings, from 399 cases to a reduction of 261 cases.

Mthethwa said the stats were proof that police interventions were yielding the desired effects. However, there was still a long way to go to rid South Africa of crime.

“Our journey since apartheid gives us confidence that we will reach a crime-free society.” –